Chapter 65: Severing All Spring Breezes, Yet Refusing to Return

Chapter 65: Cutting Down the Spring Breeze, Reluctant to Return

The intentions of the sect leaders were becoming clear. Since Luo Feng would not assume the headship of the Immortal Academy, they neither insisted nor dared to force him. They merely hoped Luo Feng would lend his name and occasionally guide their disciples. They did not expect the true teachings—if their disciples could grasp even one ten-thousandth of his skills, it would be a tremendous gain.

After a moment’s contemplation, Luo Feng stirred his divine sense, and thousands of words flowed onto the paper, describing the Breathing Technique, complete with analysis, diagrams, and explanations. With another movement of his divine sense, the book on the Breathing Technique materialized from the hands of his second incarnation.

The sect leaders were no longer surprised by such feats—manifesting objects from thin air, spatial teleportation. At first, they were astounded by Luo Feng’s abilities multiple times each day, but gradually, they became numb and accustomed. They constantly reminded themselves: the one beside you is no mere mortal, but a true immortal. With this thought, everything seemed natural and reasonable.

“I will not serve as a teacher at the academy, but this Breathing Technique may be studied by your disciples,” Luo Feng said calmly. “If anyone comprehends its essence, they may seek me out. And if students ask after the author, tell them it was passed down by the Daoist of Heavenly Talismans.”

He then, under the fervent gazes of the others, handed the Breathing Technique to the Celestial Master of Dragon and Tiger Mountain. The Breathing Technique was foundational—its power inferior to the entry-level methods of the major sects. Without the aid of the Lord God’s fragment, ordinary people seeking its true essence needed not only profound wisdom but also immense perseverance. Watching their peers’ strength soar while they themselves lagged behind, enduring countless jeers and ridicule—only after decades of persistence might they glimpse the core of the Breathing Technique and attain the Primordial Qi.

Thus, for most, mastering the Primordial Qi through a single Breathing Technique was nearly impossible. Yet, in the vast world, nothing is certain; should such a genius arise, Luo Feng would gladly accept them as a disciple and train them well.

As for why he entrusted the Breathing Technique to the Celestial Master of Dragon and Tiger Mountain and not another? Beyond the fact that the Celestial Master was the strongest in the mortal realm, Luo Feng wished to unsettle him and sow discord among the sect leaders. The original manuscript was handed directly to the Celestial Master, giving him the primary source, while all later copies would be derivative. This inevitably sparked speculation. Dragon and Tiger Mountain was an ancient, thousand-year sect, and the Celestial Master stood atop the mountain of extraordinary beings. Major troubles would not arise, but minor ones were inevitable.

The Celestial Master of Dragon and Tiger Mountain, holding the cold book, felt as if awakening from a dream. He was about to hand it over but hesitated. Lifting his head again, he noticed the other sect leaders regarding him differently. His expression changed. Yet he did not immediately share the Breathing Technique.

Watching the Celestial Master’s discomfort, Luo Feng smiled knowingly in the Heaven Escape Valley. You plotted against me—now, this is both elixir and poison; you are compelled to swallow it. This is an open stratagem, betting on whether you succumb to greed. Dragon and Tiger Mountain, you shall remain the leader of the righteous path. All troublesome matters will fall upon you. I am but a solitary figure, unable to bear such burdens; I shall sit in the rear and watch the play unfold.

“Send the scriptures to the Shangqing Sect,” Luo Feng said, vanishing instantly. Puppets, being lifeless, could be stored in space.

The Celestial Master of Dragon and Tiger Mountain managed a bitter smile—was this not a consequence of his own actions?

...

Half a month later, Luo Feng visited the Shangqing Sect. The major sects had not concealed their scriptures, instead sending their soul cultivation texts without reservation. Luo Feng perused them, nodding in approval. Though most of the authors were inferior to him, their clever phrasing and unique insights were of great benefit.

With a sweep of his robe, Luo Feng collected a cartload of books into his palm. He stepped forward and arrived directly before the Hall of Reception, without disturbing the sect leader, elders, or disciples of Shangqing. He was unfamiliar with them all. Though an elder of the Shangqing Sect, he had entered mid-way; among the members, only the venerable Jing Tian was a friend. Zheng Zha was a brother, Bi Qing a junior.

He cast a glance at the familiar yet estranged Hall of Reception, where only the gentle breeze and falling autumn leaves remained. Luo Feng murmured softly, “I have an old friend who departed with sword in hand, cutting down the spring breeze, refusing to return.” The things and places remained, but the people had changed—never again could he recapture that feeling.

The Shangqing Sect once felt like home, with friends and family all present; now, it was merely a resting place.

Entering the hall, he saw the statues of the Three Pure Ones: Primordial Heaven Sovereign, head shrouded in divine light, left hand pinched in the air, right hand supporting an invisible object, symbolizing the “state of infinity” and “chaos” before heaven and earth took shape, before all things were born. The Spirit Treasure Sovereign often held a wish-granting scepter, standing at the left of Primordial Heaven Sovereign; the Virtue Sovereign’s statue stood to the right, holding a cattail fan.

Luo Feng took a handful of incense and offered prayers to the Three Pure Daoist Ancestors. The incense smoke curled upward, unchanged through the ages.

To the side, the gatekeeper, venerable Jing Tian, had grown far more haggard.

...

Age had caught up with him.

Upon seeing Luo Feng arrive, Jing Tian was overjoyed and pulled him aside to discuss many matters—trivial affairs and amusing stories about Zheng Zha. They talked of everything, like ordinary elders.

Luo Feng replied to each topic, chatting leisurely and intermittently. Suddenly, Jing Tian blinked and asked, “When we first met, I could never find you. Where did you go to cultivate? Surely you weren’t on Mount Mao?”

Luo Feng smiled slightly, flicking his robe. Together, he and Jing Tian ascended to the clouds. Gazing at the mist, Luo Feng laughed, “I was always on Mount Mao.”

Jing Tian was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing, “As expected of you, as expected. I am convinced!”

Luo Feng blew gently, stirring the clouds into countless forms, painting a picturesque scene. He clapped and sang, “Mountains are like duckweed, clouds like waves, transcending the mundane world as the torrents flow. Clouds compete in change, storms sweep the sky. Sitting in clear solitude, a single couch in the vastness…”

Jing Tian sat on the clouds, stretched lazily, and exclaimed, “Wonderful!”

After a hearty laugh, their spirits were much lighter.

Luo Feng gazed at the mortal world below, seeing landscapes outlined and endless terraced fields. There were beautiful realms in the human world as well.

He sighed, “Tell me, friend, when there are no external threats, do people inevitably turn to internal strife? Why bother?”

When the Japanese extraordinary beings invaded, people disregarded their own lives and acted for righteousness; a single letter could summon an entire sect. But once the external enemies retreated, scheming and division began.

Jing Tian thought for a moment and said, “If one is not in the position, one should not meddle in its affairs; otherwise, it would not be the human world.”

Luo Feng pondered this, nodding in agreement. That was indeed the case.

The original intention behind the Kunlun Immortal Academy was good, but calculations and plotting were inevitable. Ultimately, its disciples belonged to their respective sects; even without Luo Feng, the academy would succeed—it was merely a matter of time. Luo Feng simply happened to be present.

The Celestial Master of Dragon and Tiger Mountain wished to relinquish his position as the leader of the righteous path and shift the pressure onto Luo Feng. His urgency made it apparent, prompting Luo Feng to retaliate. The other sect leaders concealed their schemes well; Luo Feng neither discerned them nor cared to.

With the soul cultivation scriptures in hand, Luo Feng thought it better to study how to awaken the souls of Zheng Zha and Luo Yuan than to waste time on such trivial matters.

(End of chapter)